Posted by Jim Vest on February 23, 1999 at 21:07:31:
I'm not sure that I should post a message or not. I no longer suffer from cluster headaches. But I did from 1973 to 1987. Some of them hurt so bad that I got sick to my stomach. They always occured behind my right eye and the right side of my sinus's would become congested. Once I tried some Afrin to decongest the problem. Don't ever do that! It made the headache much much worse. I found that if I took a wash cloth, got it wet and used a clothes iron as hot as I could stand it and applied it to my head the pain would subside in about 20 to 30 minutes. I would turn the iron on and off to controll the heat and iron the whole right side of my head and eye. I know this sounds crazy but it worked for me. Believe me, I tried everything I could think of, and I'll bet you have too. My headaches stopped in 1987 and I haven't even had the start of one since then....you know that tingling and tightening at the base of the neck. I don't know if there is a connection but I developed diabetes at just about the same time I stopped getting those God awful headaches. I hope your's stop as well. You all have my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy. Good luck. And whatever you do....don't drink alcohol! That'll trigger an episode faster than anything.